Exercises upon the Different Parts of Italian Speech, with References to Veneroni's Grammar / to which is added an abridgement of the Roman history, intended at once to make the learner acquainted with history, and the idiom of the Italian language

With so many [241]victories did Marius [242]consummate the [243]glory he had [244]got in the war with Jugurtha. For in the year of the city 643, a war was [245]undertaken against Jugurtha, king of Numidia, because he had [246]deprived his [247]cousins Hiempsal and Adherbal, the sons of Micipsa, and [248]grandsons of Masanissa, of their [249]lives and [250]kingdom. He [251]prevailed against the Romans for some years, more by his gold than by his arms; but was at last [252]brought low by Metellus the consul, and [253]finally [254]entirely [255]subdued by Marius, and [256]delivered up by Bocchus, king of Mauritania, to whom he had [257]fled for refuge; after which he was [258]carried to Rome, to [259]grace the [260]triumph of Marius, and [261]put to death in [262]prison.

This [263]happy [264]progress of the [265]empire [266]abroad, was [267]interrupted by [268]frequent and [269]shameful [270]disorders at [271]home, which were [272]occasioned by the tribunes. Saturninus having [273]had the Agrarian law [274]passed, to [275]divide among the people the land which Marius had got, by [276]driving the Cimbri out of Gaul, [277]banished Metellus Numidicus, who [278]opposed him; but at last was [279]slain himself by Marius, then consul for the sixth time, in the year 654; and the following year Metellus was [280]recalled from [281]banishment.

After Saturninus, Livius Drusus, tribune of the people, but [282]favouring the senate, being [283]desirous to [284]restore them to their [285]ancient [286]splendor, and to [287]put the [288]execution of their laws into their [289]hands, which C. Gracchus had [290]divided [291]between them and the [292]knights, he passed the same Agrarian laws, and put the [293]allies in [294]hopes of the [295]freedom of the city; which [296]being not able to [297]bring about, he [298]fell under an universal [299]odium, and was [300]stabbed, nobody [301]knew how, in the year 663.

After this, the Romans were [302]engaged in two most [303]difficult and terrible wars, almost at the same time; one in Italy, and the other without. That was [304]called the [305]Social or [306]Marsic war, because the Marsi had been the first [307]beginners of it; for all the [308]Latins, and most of the people of Italy, being [309]disgusted, that they who were [310]sharers in all the [311]hardships and [312]dangers of the war, should be [313]excluded from the [314]honours and [315]dignities of the [316]state; and being [317]frustrated in the hopes of [318]obtaining the [319]freedom of the city by Drusus, [320]endeavoured to [321]compass that by [322]force of arms, which they could not obtain [323]by fair means. They first [324]attempted in the Latin [325]Feriæ, to [326]assassinate both the consuls, Philip and Cæsar; but the [327]matter being [328]discovered, they [329]openly [330]revolted, [331]massacred Q. Servilius the proconsul, [332]Fonteius and all the Romans at [333]Asculum. After this the war was [334]carried on with [335]various [336]success. Cn. [337]Pompey Strabo, father of Pompey the [338]Great, [339]distinguished himself upon this [340]occasion. He [341]forced the Vestini and Peligni to [342]submission, and [343]triumphed upon that [344]account. [345]Likewise L. Sylla Cæsar, the consul’s [346]lieutenant, did, by his great successes against the enemy, [347]obtain the [348]consulship, in which he [349]made an end of the war.

Soon after [350]broke out a war between the Romans and [351]Mithridates, who having [352]taken off Ariarthes, king of Cappadocia, his [353]sister’s [354]husband, together with his son of the same [355]name, had [356]seized upon the kingdom; but being forced to [357]forego what he had [358]unjustly got, Ariobarzanes was [359]nominated king of Cappadocia by the senate, but forced out of his [360]dominions by Mithridates, and [361]restored by Sylla. After this he was once more [362]driven out of Cappadocia by Mithridates, [363]as was likewise Nicomedes out of Bithynia. But both [364]recovered their dominions again by a [365]decree of the senate; which Mithridates being [366]offended at, he [367]invaded Cappadocia and Bithynia, [368]routed the Roman armies, [369]massacred all the Italians, [370]throughout Asia in one day; and [371]reduced Macedon, [372]Thrace, [373]Greece, and [374]Athens. The consul Sylla [375]marching against him, [376]took Athens, and having [377]defeated his generals, forced him to a peace upon the [378]conditions of his [379]quitting Asia, Bithynia, and Cappadocia.

FOOTNOTES